Bok Tower Gardens

[Yunder Wækraus]

I just made my second visit to Bok Tower and Gardens. I noticed that there wasn't much in the way of zone 10 plants on the "mountain" around the towers. The most tropical palms I noticed were a Caryota obtusa (less than 10' of trunk) and some nice Everglades palm clusters. I would have thought its 300' elevation would have allowed for more zone pushing on Iron Mountain. Does anyone know whether the conservative plant choices are the result of measured climate limitations or philosophical choices on the part of the garden?

[Ben in Norcal]

Looks like the Caryota is on the way out already, too.

[Really full garden]

I was there in 1998 and remember I was disappointed there were minimal exotic tropicals and the garden seemed to focus on natives , butterfly gardens etc .

[Zeeth]

Aren't there some big Sabal domingensis planted there?

[Yunder Wækraus]

1 hour ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Looks like the Caryota is on the way out already, too.

Do you think it's fruiting early because it was transplanted or because of past cold shock? And why isn't this point a more robust microclimate?

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

My property is just a short drive from Bok.  We're in zone 9, on the 9a/9b line.  Zone 10 plants would get whacked pretty regularly.  They do have some nice Cycads at Bok, though not lots of them.  I'd like to see more exotics there too, but this is a harsh place for anything that can't stand drought and very wide temperature swings.  Frankly, I think this is the most difficult environment I've ever tried to garden, and I'm a professional horticulturist and admitted plant geek.  

[Dave-Vero]

Bok has plenty of irrigation, but the climate favors warm temperate.  There's serious winter cooling.  Camellias, indica azaleas, quite a bit of southeastern US plant life like you'd see in Gainesville, and of course the garden's in the middle of an area with a rich local flora.  Ziziphus celata, the super-rare Florida jujube, was discovered nearby, literally by the smell of its fragrant flowers.  

They've got a good number of relatively hardy bromeliads.  

It's a good area to grow cycads, and a long-time grower nearby knows what's hardy and what isn't.  Lots and lots of experience with that in Orlando, too, including at Leu Garden and the Mouse.

 

[colin Peters]

Cool pic, looks like out of Lord of the Rings movie set. 

thanks for sharing

[Eric in Orlando]

There are several tall Sabal domingensis growing next to the carillon tower and a group of younger specimens at the entrance.

 

 

[Eric in Orlando]

There is also a nice Acrocomia totai and a Sabal bermudana growing behind the Pinewood Estate house.